The Silver Runner
by silverphoenix00
Summary: The first time Katsuki Yuuri saw him, he was twelve. Standing in the middle of a crowded street square and surrounded by protesters, Yuuri had glanced up at the top of the buildings to glimpse at what he knew was an artificial sun and instead saw a flash of silver darting amongst the rooftops.


The first time Katsuki Yuuri saw him, he was twelve. Standing in the middle of a crowded street square and surrounded by protesters, Yuuri had glanced up at the top of the buildings to glimpse at what he knew was an artificial sun and instead saw a flash of silver darting amongst the rooftops. The way he moved had been breathtaking, fluidly springing between buildings with a practiced ease as his hair trailed behind him in a streak of silver.

Yuuri remembered thinking he was an angel, there to protect everyone by watching over them from above. He actually had stopped, for a split second, to watch; the false sun had been so low that it had grazed the top of the surrounding skyscrapers and haloed him in a beautiful new light. Yuuri had watched the boy stand on the rooftop, perched elegantly above them as the cool Autumn breeze played with his hair. At the time, Yuuri thought he had been the only one to lay eyes upon the boy, the only one who saw him high above the square; to this day, he still thinks that.

The gunshots had gone off not long after that. They were quick and ear-splitting, breaking the still illusion of the day like a dam bursting with water. The peaceful protest in the square had erupted into chaos. The crowd around Yuuri had closed in on him, pushing and shoving at each other like scared animals desperate to escape. In a way, they had been fish in a barrel, all stuffed into that square and lined up perfectly with the scope of the soldiers' guns. It had probably been easy for the soldiers to pull the trigger. Yuuri had lost sight of the boy after that, too taken by the way the tide of people swept him towards the buildings and out of the open. Dozens of innocents died at the hands of the people meant to protect them; hundreds more were injured.

Everyone old enough remembered something from that day. Phichit Chulanont, Yuuri's best friend, once told him that the only thing he could remember was waking up and eating his mother's scrambled eggs before he left for school; it was the last time Phichit saw his mother. Nishigori Yuuko, another good friend of Yuuri's, would talk about how she had come home from ballet lessons to find her mother and father in tears at the news. Katsuki Yuuri remembered the silver-haired boy on the rooftop; he would tell you that everything else was a blur from that day.

Twelve years later, Yuuri knew exactly what that boy had been doing on top of the skyscraper. It was one of the first things they'd taught the new recruits at the Police Academy. They were called 'Runners' - messengers for an underground network of people wanting to live off the grid, away from the ever-watchful eye of the government. Privacy was a rare commodity now. People were watched closely anywhere they went, including their own homes, and those considered risky were arrested far before they did anything illegal. Electronic communications were impossible to get by the higher-ups; each email, each internet search, each message board was watched and monitored by someone ready to blow the whistle at a moment's notice.

Yuuri has been a police officer long enough to know the rules, how everything worked behind the screens and cameras. It scared him on the best days and on the worst…

That's where the Runners came in. Anything someone wanted to go under the radar or past the police was delivered by a Runner. By the way Yuuri understood it, Runners were basically a more evolved version of the carrier pigeon. The life of a Runner was dangerous and being associated with a Runner was highly illegal. If the Runner delivering a message were caught, the message sender and receiver would be immediately arrested. The problem was that Runners were never caught.

They knew their way around the city: where to lie low and avoid police drones, which rooftops were the most isolated, how to navigate the confusing construction sites around the city and the intricate sewer networks below. They were ghosts, slipping away from police with practiced ease only to reappear in plain view days later on a rooftop or crowded street. Yuuri knew they were sending a message, to let the city know that they were there and that they wouldn't stop until they accomplished their mission of unrest.

It was only natural that whispers of rebellion followed Runners wherever they went. They broke the law every day, fought against the system with every fiber of their beings, and their webs were cast all over the city. There wasn't a single person who hadn't seen or interacted with them and they had more support than the government cared to admit.

Viktor Nikiforov was one of those Runners. Known by the tale tell of his silver hair, Nikiforov was an infamous legend amongst the members of the police department. He knew the city like the back of his hand, able to slip in and out of sight and consistently evade police each time he was spotted.

They'd shown his picture during the 'Runner Introduction' at the Police Academy. The picture had been old, taken sometime before he had supposedly run away from his foster home, but it captured the boy nonetheless. His silver hair ran down to his waist, wound in a flawless braid behind his back, and his blue eyes were lit with artificial light from behind the camera. Yuuri could tell that there was something off about the boy, even through the barrier of a screen, and the more he'd studied the picture, the more he could pinpoint the problem. Viktor looked normal to those looking at a glance, but his smile was strained and didn't reach his eyes, which were hollow and empty. It seemed as though there was a piece of the boy missing, lost to the world for some unknown reason. The boy in the picture looked miserable but he had crafted a mask so intricate and perfect that, to the untrained eye, he seemed normal.

The picture had haunted Yuuri for a long time.

Viktor had cut his hair a couple weeks after Yuuri graduated from the Academy, but the look was still there. The silver-haired Runner looked sad and hollow, almost desperate for something he couldn't reach. Despite the underlying issues, Nikiforov still ran; in his first months on the job, Viktor had led them on multiple chases around the city and then left them empty-handed. It was all a game and Viktor was certainly winning.

That was why Yuuri now stood in the same street square, as he had all those years ago, watching as the false sun began to sink behind the skyscrapers. Yuuri couldn't help but fiddle with the ring on his hand as he paced back and forth. The night cycle was about to begin and most of the people had cleared from the square, with the exception of a couple taking an evening stroll. It was here that he was supposed to meet Viktor. Months of undercover work and bribery had led Yuuri to this moment, to simply have the opportunity to talk to the Runner face-to-face.

Viktor wanted to play a game and it was Yuuri's job to play it with him.

He would bring Viktor out of the shadows and force him to see the consequences of everything he had done. First, however, he had to wait. The two men had agreed to meet three hours after the night cycle had set in and Yuuri had arrived only minutes ago. With that in mind and nothing particularly important to do, Yuuri observed his surroundings in effort to distract himself from the inevitable confrontation he was about to have.

The street square was paved with bricks and tile, which encompassed nearly an entire city block and only broke for the occasional tree. The trees in the square, though sparse, were gigantic; their thick trunks allowed for the treetops to rival the buildings around the square, reaching for the holographic sky above them. In the middle of the square, a large fountain shined a brilliant bronze in the low, dying light as the water arched grandly around a statue of two dancers frozen in the middle of a fluid waltz. One dancer was being dipped, their back curved perfectly as both of their arms came out behind them to distantly echo spread wings; the other dancer held their partner diligently, with both hands wrapped around the other's waist to help their partner balance. The statue was called The Flight of Freedom . Yuuri could almost taste the irony.

Yuuri knew that people actively avoided the square. It was no longer a place of relaxation, but of fear and anger. It now represented death and the unjust establishment that had allowed the shooting of innocents. The square represented the exact thing the protesters had been fighting against and reminded the people of the power being held over them. It also fueled the low itch of rebellion amongst the people and gave way for the Runners to gain more influence.

Lights embedded on the floor of the square began to flicker on as a full moon rose in the sky. The square was flooded with the fake, yellow light and the silvery, no-less fake light of the moon. Faint shadows cast themselves along the bricks, reaching towards Yuuri as an artificial breeze caressed his skin. Yuuri sat himself on the edge of the fountain and wrapped his arms around himself to stave away the chill running through his body. He watched as building lights were switched off for the night, gradually plunging the world into more darkness. Overhead, police drones began to patrol, humming lowly as they passed by to sweep their cameras over the streets below them.

Then the lights in the square went out. Instantly, dread washed through Yuuri as the distant moonlight overtook the square. Shadows, once faint in the duel lighting, sharpened distinctively as the silver light filtered through the leaves of the treetops. Yuuri stood as fast as he could, immediately snapping to attention to watch the shadows. Adrenaline rushed through Yuuri's body as his heart began thumping loudly in his chest. Every shadow seemed to move and every noise was a threat. Yuuri was hyper-aware of every little thing happening in the square.

The rustle of leaves.

The sway of the shadows.

The dim light of the moon.

"Nervous?"

Yuuri jumped ten feet into the air, his heart jumping into his throat before he could begin to register that there was no danger to be had. Startled and shaking, Yuuri turned.

Viktor Nikiforov stood behind him, bathed in moonlight that clung to each part of his body and illuminated his hair with a celestial glow. A clever smile played on Viktor's lips and amusement sparkled deep in his eyes; Yuuri couldn't help but think of the hollow boy he'd seen in the picture and wonder how much of Viktor's appearance was a lie.

As soon as the thought crossed his mind, however, Yuuri felt Viktor's eyes rake over his body appreciatively. Yuuri's brain stalled, the gears in his head clicking uselessly as the Runner's intense gaze pinned him in place. Viktor began to circle him, humming a languid melody while holding his hands behind his back. His movements were slow and predatory, and his gaze critical and serious. Yuuri felt small underneath him. Yuuri felt like prey.

"Don't be," Viktor continued, not waiting for Yuuri to answer his question. His voice cut through the air of the night, a near whisper amongst the steady breeze. Yuuri lost the Runner in his peripheral as he began to circle again. The action ran raw vulnerability through Yuuri, crept something along the base of his neck with a phantom touch, and he fought the urge to turn around. "I know exactly who you are and why you're here."

Yuuri could feel the air leave his lungs at Viktor's words. The entire world seemed to watch him as he stared, wide-eyed and gaping, at the man. Viktor took no notice.

"So, before you make your proposition, let me make mine," he said, coming back to face Yuuri. Viktor's eyes glinted lowly in the moonlight, gazing down at Yuuri with emotions to intricate and complex to describe. Yuuri almost missed his next words, too lost in the way his cobalt eyes glowed in the low light. "Catch me."

The words stirred something in Yuuri, something that sent him stumbling on his own words. "W-what?"

The Runner took a step forward, his gaze piercing easily through the night and directly into Yuuri. Another breeze washed over the square and cut through Yuuri's clothing to seep deep into his bones. He shivered, unable to control the way the air ran its feather-light touch across his skin.

"Catch me," Viktor repeated simply. An excited smile spread across Viktor's face, emphasized by the way life danced within his eyes in the low lighting, "and I'll do anything you ask of me. Catch me, Detective Katsuki, and I'm yours forever."

That almost sounds like a marriage proposal , was Yuuri's first thought, to lost in the warmth of Viktor's words to notice that said Runner was slowly backing away to gain a head start.

Then Viktor bolted. His movements were practiced and fluid from years of training, beautiful in every possible way, and Yuuri wanted . Without thinking, Yuuri followed, chasing Viktor through the unnaturally darkened square and on to the lit streets of the city. Bright, flashing lights of buildings blared at both the men as they ran deeper into the heart of the city, vivid colors passing by in neon streaks.

Yuuri could see Viktor gliding across the pavement ahead of him, taut muscles working in well-oiled unison as he weaved in and out of alleyways and crossed empty streets. Throughout the chase, Viktor remained one step ahead, but Yuuri matched his every move. For every time Viktor ducked into an emptied building, Yuuri opened a door; for every time Viktor jumped over a barrier, Yuuri would leap; for every time Viktor glanced back with a wide, heart-shaped smile, Yuuri would mirror with his own smile. Yuuri met Viktor where he was, step for step.

And for Yuuri it was as easy as breathing.

So they ran, with Yuuri chasing Viktor, who was always one step ahead. They ran until Viktor led them to a sewer entrance, marked discreetly with a rusty painted stripe and sitting wide open in the middle of an empty street. Viktor jumped without hesitance, allowing the hole to swallow him whole. Yuuri could feel his heart skip in place, thrumming reluctantly against his chest as he came to a stop next to the hole; his eyes searched the dark, gaping hole in the ground, which stared back at him resolutely.

Yuuri couldn't see the bottom. If he wanted to catch Viktor, if he wanted Viktor to be his, he would need to trust him. He would have to have faith and hope that the Runner wouldn't lead him astray. Yuuri would have to allow himself to be led through the darkness in order to earn his place next to Viktor.

He took a deep breath to calm his racing heartbeat in the midst of an inner storm.

Trust Viktor or walk away?

Hundreds of thoughts raced viciously through Yuuri's head, each whispering its own malicious tune. Anything could be at the bottom, anything could be in the darkness. Did he really trust Viktor enough to jump?

Yuuri's heartbeat slowed.

With the thought of blue eyes and a heart-shaped smile, Yuuri stepped into the darkness.

For a moment, he was weightless, falling deep into a rabbit hole he couldn't climb out of, and, for a split second, he regretted his decision. He shouldn't have jumped, shouldn't have taken the risk, shouldn't have trusted. Then, there was warmth, a solid body, as arms wrapped safely around Yuuri and held him close.

Light bloomed around them as Yuuri and Viktor collided in a moment that lasted forever.

"I didn't think you'd jump," Viktor whispered, his voice echoing off the bricked walls surrounding them. Yuuri could see him in the light. Viktor's face was riddled with a mixture of relief and worry, his eyebrows were furrowed in the middle and his eyes shined with concern.

Instead of replying Yuuri wrapped his arms around Viktor's neck and pulled him into a hug, soaking in his warmth now that they had escaped the prying eyes of Yuuri's superiors. This was how it had to be: avoiding, chasing, and catching. It was an intricate game, a web of lies, that had to be played delicately. Failure would mean arrest or, far worse, death; success meant protection, safety, and rare moments of bliss and togetherness before it all reset.

"I missed you," was all Yuuri mumbled into Viktor's shoulder. Viktor chuckled at the words, the laugh vibrating through his chest and into the air around them.

"I missed you too, zvezda ," he said back, pressing a tender kiss into Yuuri's hair.

Yuuri hummed in answer, tucking his face into Viktor's shoulder and praying for the moment to never end. "I caught you."

"You did," Viktor confirmed, his breath tickling Yuuri's ear as he leaned down to mirror Yuuri's action.

"You're mine?"

"Was there ever any doubt?"

* * *

Hello everyone! So, this is something that I wrote after I watched a playthrough of Mirror's Edge and became obsessed with it. I highly recommend either playing the game or watching a playthrough! It's an incredible world and an incredible story that these creators have crafted in this game.


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